In one of the city photography galleries the proprietor
had a show case in which he exhibited pictures which the sitters failed to call for, he labeled it,
"Shades Of The Departed."

~ Abraham Bogardus, 1895 ~

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Shedding Light On

A Wistful Woman Sending A Whist Postcard

In 1906 it was estimated that one person in every eight in the United States purchased a picture postcard. There were80,000 stores handling them in the country in1906 where there had only been 100 the year before.

This is a commercial novelty embossed divided back photographic postcard. The couples on the front of the card are models. Nothing indicates the manufacturer of the card.

It is obvious that some things never change. Getting your husband to write you when he is away from home is obviously one of them. I am intrigued by postcards; these little snapshots in time. The sender and recipient hopefully knew what was meant by the correspondence, but we may never.

When The Postcard Was Mailed:

Winthrop, Minn.3pm October 1910Ben FranklinU.S. PostageOnce Cent

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), publisher, scientist, diplomat, and first postmaster general of the American colonies, is honored on the 1-cent stamp. This stamp was used most often to send postcards. The first 1-cent Franklin of the Third Bureau Issue (which this stamp corresponds to) rolled off the presses in the late fall of 1908. When retired, over 14 billion had been used. Smithsonian Postal Museum.

This postcard was mailed to:

Mr. Henry Walters1126 - 2 ave SouthGreat FallsMontana

The 1910 Census for Montana contains an entry for a Henry Walters. He is a single 28 year old copper miner boarding in Silver Bow County, Montana. Great Falls is in Cascade County, Montana.

This may or may not be the Henry Walters of our postcard. The card was mailed in October and the census taken in May. This would certainly allow enough time for Henry to marry. The census taker may have assumed he was single as he was a boarder in a boarding house. More information would be required to confirm this is our Henry.

The Correspondence Reads:

Well Dear how do youlike this card. I receivedyours and was gladto get it we are allwell and I hopeyou are the sameand I wished youwould write to onesometime love toyou ever your Wife

I found what the Wife has written very interesting. The kissing couples on the front are less than subtle. She is obviously missing her husband. In this message she acknowledges his card, but wishes he would write to her sometime. Did Henry send a card to the "all" mentioned? Is Wife living with Henry's parents and he wrote to them all rather than to his Wife? How I wish I knew.

What is Whist?

Whist is a trick-taking card game originating in the early 17th century which was played widely in the 18th and 19th centuries.

In the middle of the 18th century, whist was regularly played at the coffee houses of London and in fashionable society. By the late 19th century an elaborate and rigid set of rules detailing the laws of the game, its etiquette and the techniques of play, had been developed that took a large amount of study to master. In the early 20th century, bridge, which shares many traits with whist, displaced it as the most popular card game among many card players.

There are hundred of books written detailing the rules of the game and it's popularity. The woodcut below came from such a book and show that the game was so popular it was played during carriage travel.

*sigh*...oh, wistful indeed! I can feel that poor woman's disappointment at not having heard from her husband! I did notice that it might read "would write to me" rather "would write to one"... the first stroke of her lowercase "m" is a little confusing.

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About Shades Of The Departed

I have been collecting photographs for over twenty years. This blog will discuss that collection, the types of categories I've developed for that collection, and the types of photographs I collect.
I will also share with you what I've learned or am learning about scanning, creating a database, analyzing and dating my collection, and anything else that strikes my fancy related to photography and my collection.

About The Collector

I am fascinated by the clues left in the photographs I collect. Every picture is a miniature mystery and I love a mystery.

My grandfather was a photographer who traveled with the famous Burton Holmes. I am fortunate to have original photographs by
both men.

When I was ten my grandfather gave me a camera as a birthday gift. It was evident that I did not inherit the "photographer gene."
I have taken only one photograph in my entire life that I liked, but I know a good one when I see it.

I am a great appreciator.

Fortunately, I don't take myself too seriously. I know enough about
collecting photographs to know I don't know everything, but I am learning.